Leominster murder victim accused different man of assault in May

LEOMINSTER -- Police found the body of Sonia Rios one day before a man who allegedly abused her at a State Street location was set to appear in Leominster District Court, according to court documents.

On May 31, Rios was hospitalized with a broken tooth after being dragged on the ground by her neck by her then-boyfriend, Nelson Matos, 36, of 86 Laurel St., according to court documents.

Rios told police she would seek a restraining order against Matos after leaving the hospital, according to a police report.

Ultimately, Rios did not file the order, though she had previously taken out a restraining order against Matos, which listed the man as her boyfriend.

The abuse took place at a location on State Street, Rios said, according to court documents.

Police found Rios' body Sunday inside an apartment at 25 State St. at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The owner of that apartment, Jorge Cortes, 58, was arrested and charged with murder after allegedly telling his daughter he killed Rios, court documents show.

Matos had his pretrial hearing in Leominster District Court on Monday, according to court documents. It is unclear whether Rios was scheduled to testify against him.

When he was arraigned on June 21, he was ordered held in lieu of posting a $5,000 cash bail or $50,000 surety bond.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sentinel and Enterprise. So keep it civil.